FBCS students headed back to campus full-time

SANDPOINT — Forrest M. Bird Charter students are heading back to campus full-time for the first time in almost a year.

FBCS officials announced Sunday that students may return to campus for daily in-person classes as of Monday. Previously, students either had the option of a hybrid schedule blending online and on-campus learning or an all-online schedule.

Many families and staff are looking forward to having students back into the building full-time, FBCS Administrator Mary Jensen said.

While the change added some challenges in order to adhere to social distancing guidelines, Jensen said it was time to bring students back full-time.

"With more students in the building, a few teachers are apprehensive, but seem to be up to having kids back, especially with our strict guidelines with mask wearing, cleaning, and social distancing," Jensen said. "I think preparing to bring students back safely is a difficult task, just as when we prepared for having students online for the stay at home order last spring."

But, Jensen noted, since the board approved the move in early February, FBCS staff have spent the past month getting everything ready. FBCS officials said 74% of the staff have received the COVID vaccine. That, combined with lower community spread as well mental health concerns for students as well as updated CDC guidelines, were among the reasons they moved to bring students back to campus full-time.

"I am excited to see all the students," Jensen said. "Learning is not the same when the students are not in the building. Students tend to not be as enthusiastic when learning online, and online learning is contradictory to our school philosophy."

Having students back will allow FBCS to return more to the project learning philosophy.

"Such joy is in my heart to think the building will be full of students laughing, smiling, interacting, learning, and enjoying school once again," she said.

Some students found the hybrid system worked well with their learning needs and others built their work schedules around the plan, Jensen said. That influenced FBCS's decision to do a "soft opening," allowing families the option to continue the hybrid schedule.

However, the FBCS administrator said most of the students seemed happy to be back.

"It's absolutely fantastic and everybody can finally know who's who," senior Catherine Doss said.

Sophomore Sarah Hudson said she was excited to reconnect with friends. "I am excited because I have not been with some of my friends for a year, and now we are back together," she said.

While she is excited to be back in school, sophomore Maggie Russell said seeing more people in her classes "will be an adjustment."

Jensen said initial indications are that about 76% of the students are returning full-time to the campus, with the remainder split between a hybrid schedule and fully online.

The "soft opening" — March 1 to May 4 — gives students the option to return full-time or continue with a hybrid schedule, Jensen said. Full-time online students will remain online for the second trimester and can continue through the end of the school year.

On May 4, all students attending school in the building will be on campus four days a week. As before the pandemic, Fridays will continue to be an online day for students, Jensen said.

The school moved to an all-online learning model last March based on CDC recommendations, rising community spread, and health concerns of immune-comprised staff and families. As recommendations eased, the school switched to a hybrid system, which saw students on campus two days a week and learning online for the rest.

The pandemic was hard on everyone, and disrupted the school in ways no one could have foreseen, forcing FBCS officials to choose between its model of teaching and maintaining the health and safety of the students and staff. Staff worked hard to adapt the school's philosophy of project-based learning to both the online and hybrid models, Jensen said, noting that neither were ideal.

"In both cases, some students seemed to lose motivation for learning," Jensen said. "Students frequently stated they developed an appreciation of live learning and school in general. They missed their friends and their teachers. Teachers missed the students."

While better, and preferred by some students who found it fit better with work, internships or college classes, the hybrid model still posed many challenges, Jensen said.

"We have learned a lot during this time," she said. "Positive change came through this difficult time, especially around the varied differences of our individual student learning needs."

After being online for so long, FBCS officials knew it wasn't the best model for its students' educational needs, Jensen said. At the same time, student and staff health was important. FBCS officials paid close attention to research to guide them in making decisions, she said.

"Research was lacking due to the newness of the virus, and we did not know how the virus actually was spread," Jensen said. "We choose to be extra cautious because of this. Personally, I have known the loss of staff and students, and if being cautious prevented of the loss of even one life during the pandemic, it was worth it."

Jensen said school officials anticipate that returning to school on a full-time, regular basis will continue through the school year and the next.